Developing a national curriculum for Australia is not a new undertaking (Marsh, 2010). The ideal is that the national curriculum across Australia means that students are provided with a quality education that helps shape the lives of the nation's citizens and continues to develop productivity and quality of life in Australia. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] is responsible for developing and implementing a national curriculum. ACARA (nd-c) statements addressed the needs of young Australians as changing learning patterns and challenges will continue to shape students' education in the future. A look at what the Australian Curriculum is, its purpose, structure and scope, learning theories and teaching processes and whether the curriculum has the capacity to meet the needs of 21st century learners will show that the initial construction of a national curriculum appears to be successful. However, the effectiveness of the Australian curriculum can only be assessed in the future after implementation across the country. Defining Curriculum Curriculum definitions are many and varied. Broad, general statements state that curriculum is what is taught in various subjects and the amount of time devoted to each. While a more specific view is that curricula are performance objectives for students that focus on specific skills or knowledge (Marsh, 2010). Marsh (2010, p. 93) defines curriculum as “an interrelated set of plans and experiences” that are completed in school. The curriculum used in education can have various interpretations and can refer to the curriculum as a plan that includes all learning planned and directed by the school. Cu...... middle of paper ...... for effective standards-based instruction (5th ed.). Boston MA: Pearson Education Inc. Prideaux, D. (2003). Curriculum design. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 326(7383), 268-270. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125124/Queensland Studies, A. (2009). Essential learnings for the juncture of the year. from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/7301.htmlReid, A. (2005). Rethinking national curriculum collaboration: Towards an Australian curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/662870A8-BA7B-4F23-BD08-DE99A7BFF41A/2650/report1.pdf.Shepard, L.A. (2000). The role of assessment in the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14. Retrieved from http://www.ied.edu.hk/obl/files/The%20role%20of%20assessment%20in%20a%20learning%20culture.pdf Tyler, R. W. (1969). Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction: University Of Chicago Press.